


a gift from god

by calarinanis



Category: I Medici | Medici: Masters of Florence (TV)
Genre: Birth of Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, F/M, Fluff, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:27:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26355709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calarinanis/pseuds/calarinanis
Summary: After the birth of Piero, Contessina realises that things have now changed between her and Cosimo as now he looks upon her with a love that had not been there before in their marriage.
Relationships: Contessina de' Bardi/Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici
Comments: 12
Kudos: 26





	a gift from god

Watching Cosimo cradle Piero in his arms was such a glorious sight.

The joy upon his face, the adoration and the bliss was a remarkable expression for a man who in their marriage so far had been nothing but reserved. For a moment, she was blessed with a glimpse of a softer and kinder man. And, then he looked at her. His eyes shone with unshed tears as they gazed upon her face with what appeared to be admiration. She even noted the softening of his jaw as he smiled at her. It was a handsome smile and one that Contessina had seen all too infrequently. It was enough to assuage the aches in her body from the pains of childbirth and a lengthy labour spanning almost two days. For once, he looked at her with love. Not lust, not desire and not polite civility but pure love. Warmth flooded her heart. 

“You are well, Contessina?” He asked in a voice softer than she had ever before heard and with a tenderness she could not place. 

It broke her out of her musing though she felt the sharp prick of tears creeping into her eyes. “I am, Cosimo.” 

His name still felt foreign in her mouth even after their many months of marriage. How many times had he addressed her with his full attention? And, how many times had she spoken his name in reply? It was a pleasant feeling to say his name, to shape the ‘C’ with her tongue and draw out the ‘O’s. 

As he sat down next to her in his chair, still holding Piero against his chest as if he wished to never let him go, she realised that things had changed at last. His hand reached for hers, a banker’s hand with a smooth palm and indented fingers from the many nights he spent scribbling in his ledgers, and she felt happiness from his touch. She had birthed a son. She had given him an heir and secured their future along with her place in the Medici family. But, it was not that which sent joy crackling through her veins. It was the way Cosimo now looked at her. As if he were a traveller in the dark wilds and she was the moon to light his way. His eyes were fixed upon hers, an unspoken worry at his tongue. 

“Is there anything you require?” His words held an anxiety within them as he spoke. “I can arrange whatever you may need.”

A rogue tear broke out from her eye despite her best efforts to restrict it from falling. “I have you and Piero, I have no need for anything else.”

It was the truth for the most part. However, a new hope had kindled within her soul that perhaps she might yet find love with Cosimo. It was a hope she dare not voice for fear that it was nothing more than fantasy. She had never seen Cosimo so content before and was afraid that he would revert back to the cold, quiet self he had been over the course of their marriage. Hope was a dangerous thing and she did not want to shatter her marriage with false expectations. 

“Contessina,” He murmured as she swept the tears away from her eyes. “I have never felt such a happiness as that of having a son, thank you.”

Emotion crept its way into her throat and she found her breathing grow faster. “He is beautiful, is he not?”

Piero was now sleeping soundly against his father’s chest with his tiny hands curled into the fur of Cosimo’s clothes. It was a sight that she wished she could frame within her mind. Proud, ruthless Cosimo with a babe in arms was a sight to witness. She wanted to take Piero back, to feel his warmth within her arms but she resisted the urge because Cosimo looked so very peaceful. A chill settled upon her arms from the gust of wind that had blown into their bedchamber and she hugged her arms against herself under the silken covers of their bed coverings. 

“He is perfect as if God himself carved him from the finest marble,” Cosimo said with wonder in his eyes as he looked down at Piero who was smiling even in the midst of sleep. Then, he met her eyes again. “You are cold.” 

Cosimo pressed Piero into her arms and stood up from the chair at the side of her bed. She felt the comforting weight of her son in her arms along with the warmth that her mother-in-law had said was common with babes. He climbed into their bed, tossing off his shoes, and gently pulled her onto his chest with her head resting upon his shoulder. A strange delight raced down her spine. She had never been so close to Cosimo in this sense for their couplings were quick things born of desire and duty. This was far more intimate. She sent a prayer to God for giving her this moment of perfection. 

“I feel warmer now,” she said as she nestled her head into the crook of his arm. “Thank you, Cosimo.”

Formality still lingered between them like the scent of roses in full bloom, overpowering and familiar at once. She felt his chest rise and fall with his breath as he spoke, a feeling that made her feel so safe in his arms. Even if they had not moved a step beyond thanking each other for the small, unnecessary things and the bigger ones that were crucial to their marriage. 

“You must not thank me, Contessina,” he said. His voice was deeper and more gruff, more akin to the Cosimo she knew, and yet she still detected emotion in his words. “You have given me the greatest gift that I could ever ask for, my wife.”

_ My wife. _

Words that were so new to her yet so endearing. He only referred to her by her title when speaking of her to others and her name when speaking to her. This was different. It was possessive and tender at the same time with a desire that she could not place. Perhaps, she had built her place within Cosimo’s heart over time with their son being the final piece of their happy marriage. She hoped that would be the case. 

“He is our gift from God,” she said as she felt Piero stir within her arms. 

His wide eyes fluttered open for a moment and she hushed Cosimo as he was about to speak in the hope that her son would fall back asleep again. It worked. His tiny body burrowed within her arms and soon he was sleeping as if he had not been woken. She felt Cosimo’s eyes upon her. Astonishment was shining within his eyes. 

“You put Piero back to sleep in moments,” he said. “My mother told me that babies rarely slept after their birth and here is our son. Serenity has settled upon his face, he must be God’s gift for neither I nor you are this quiet.” 

A slight laugh escaped her. “I am quiet upon occasion and you are quiet amongst your books though I admit that the silence never lasts long within our house.”

That got a stifled chuckle from Cosimo who tempered his amusement so as not to wake Piero though his eyes were alight with laughter. They remained like that with smiles playing upon their lips for many moments. Contessina fell asleep first, exhausted from the hours of labour, and Cosimo followed her shortly after placing Piero into the cradle at the side of their bed. Her body found him even after he had moved from his space in the bed, her arms wound around him as if to treasure him even in her sleep. Their bodies fitted together for the first time in the wide expanse of their bed, her shape the perfect fit to his body and even in her dreams she felt joy springing from every meadow. Today had marked a change in their relationship and tender stirrings of love had begun to take hold of their hearts. 

It was a day that she would cherish forever. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
